Electric Service Extended by L.I.R.R.

By ERIC SCHMITT, Special to the New York Times

Published: December 31, 1987

RONKONKOMA, L.I., Dec. 30—
After decades of dealing with diesel, thousands of Suffolk County commuters are switching to electric this week. Electric trains, that is. As part of the first major extension of its electrified rail system since 1970, the Long Island Rail Road on Monday began replacing diesel-powered trains with faster, quieter electric trains on 18 miles of its Main Line.

When the new service begins full operation on Jan. 18, some 5,000 commuters at five stations in western and central Suffolk previously served only be diesels will save an average of 26 minutes in travel time to Pennsylvania Station during rush hour.

For some rush-hour passengers in Ronkonkoma, which has now become the easternmost outpost of electrification, the 93-minute diesel ride to Manhattan will be cut to a 59-minute express trip. 'People Used to Laugh at Me'

For many people, the electric trains are a symbol of how urban life has reached out to the suburbs of Suffolk, where steam or diesel locomotives have reigned since the 1840's. Nearly all L.I.R.R. trains in Nassau County are electric.

''Where there are electric trains, it means you're in more of a city or dense suburb than a potato farm,'' said Bruce C. McIver, president of the L.I.R.R. The Long Island is the nation's largest commuter railroad, serving 114,000 rush-hour passengers daily.

Commuters, many of whom said they felt slighted riding the slower, older trains, hailed the new service.

''People used to laugh at me for living in the sticks and having to take diesel trains,'' said Frieda Coronel, a receptionist from Holbrook. Transfers Eliminated

Patricia Gaicia, a garment quality inspector who has commuted to New York from here for 23 years on the 5:54 A.M. diesel, said she now takes the much faster 6:40 electric and sleeps an extra half hour.

''This is great!'' she said. ''With diesel trains, you felt like a second-class citizen.''

Because of the new electric train service, Manhattan-bound commuters no longer have to transfer at Jamaica or Hicksville, a chilling prospect this morning and an annoying 10- to 15-minute wait on many days. Diesel trains are too tall to run through the East River tunnels into Penn Station.

''I can get on and fall asleep without having to worry about waking up till I get to New York,'' said Joyce Sypniewski, a data-processing administrator from Deer Park. #59-Minute Trip for Some Trains In addition, the fastest trains from Ronkonkoma will complete the trip to Penn Station in 59 minutes, an important psychological factor for potential homebuyers in central Suffolk who hesitate at commuting more than an hour each way, realtors said.

Railroad officials estimated that the Main Line's latest expansion, which serves five stations between here and Wyandanch, will attract 4,000 new riders in 1988, mainly from the L.I.R.R.'s two other major branches in Suffolk, the Montauk and Port Jefferson lines, which use diesel trains.

Louie Damore, a pressman from Patchogue, said he now drives 10 miles out of his way to take the electric train at Ronkonkoma, rather than catch a diesel train from Patchogue and transfer to an electric train at Babylon.

Other riders have had the same idea. On this morning's 6:40 train, all seats were occupied and passengers had to stand in all cars. Drop in Average Travel Time

''And this has been a light week; it'll be even worse next week,'' said Ray Eustace, a L.I.R.R. conductor for 12 years.

Two morning and two evening electric trains will run to and from Ronkonkoma until Jan. 18, when 53 electric trains go into service. The railroad said the average travel time to New York from here will drop to 71 minutes from 97 minutes.

The new trains ran on schedule Monday and Tuesday, but there have been problems.

Because of severe cold weather this morning, the 6:40 train from Ronkonkoma arrived at Penn Station at 8:25, 33 minutes late. In one of the 12 cars, there was no heat and passengers bundled in heavy coats, hats and gloves grumbled about the good old days of diesel. Jamaica Station Project

The railroad has no plans to electrify other branches, Mr. McIver said, until the L.I.R.R. completes the reconstruction of its Jamaica station complex sometime in the 1990's.

The L.I.R.R. extended electric trains beyond Hicksville last spring, to Bethpage and Farmingdale, in the initial stage of the 23.5 mile, $168 million project. In all, 50 of the Main Line's 95 miles are electrified.

Since then the L.I.R.R. has systematically replaced the diesel trains with electric models, which accelerate and brake more quickly than the diesels, and can reach speeds up to 80 miles an hour, compared with 65 miles an hour for the diesels.

Although diesel trains will still run throughout Suffolk's rural East End, many commuters, even those pleased with the new, faster service, sounded a wistful note at the change.

''The diesel trains are more nostalgic and seem to go with the environment on the East End,'' said Anthony Daniels, a banker from Wheatley Heights. ''The electric trains seem to bring the city closer.''

Photo of commuters boarding a train (NYT/Vic DeLucia); map of New York City highlighting main line (NYT)